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Amara

Amara works to ensure that every child in foster care has the love and support of a committed family – as quickly as possible, and for as long as each child needs.

Amara works to ensure that every child in foster care has the love and support of a committed family – as quickly as possible, and for as long as each child needs.

We know what every kid needs to thrive is a loving, safe, and stable home and family. Amara families come from a diverse range of ethnicities, belief systems, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and economic circumstances.

But there is singular focus every Amara parent shares: a deep commitment to the well-being of kids in their care and a determination to live up to that commitment every day.

After 95 years of working with families and children, we’ve observed that the people who have the greatest success in working with Amara possess some important traits:

A strong belief that they can make a difference in the life of a child in foster care.

The willingness to be flexible with their time and expectations in order to meet the needs of a child.

The ability to stay focused on the needs of the child, through the emotional ups and downs of fostering and adoption.

A commitment to care for and love each child in their home for as long as they need it — a month, a year, or a lifetime.

The desire to learn how trauma affects children, so they may help the kid(s) in their care to heal and thrive.

The capacity to maintain a strong community of support for themselves and their kids.

The empathy to see the real truth about the families involved in the foster care system, and understand the systemic and social forces that lead to kids entering foster care.

Special Offer:

The Amara Information Meeting (AIM) is a great opportunity to address all your questions and see if Amara is the right organization for you on your journey to fostering or adopting a child. You’ll learn about our services, hear from a family who fostered or adopted a child from foster care, and have the opportunity to have your questions answered. AIM is offered twice a month at our Rainier Valley office in Seattle, and once a month at our Tacoma office. Application packets will be available at the meeting.

Choosing to parent kids in foster care as an Amara family is the first step in a profound journey that will change their lives—and yours. As an Amara family, you’ll receive high-quality training, services, and ongoing support.

Because we are dedicated to making the best possible match for our kids and our families, we’ve developed a comprehensive process for becoming foster and adoptive parents.

Special programs

Our Emergency Sanctuary Program provides a temporary home to kids who were recently removed from their own home, for their own safety. It is a safe place for kids to land that gives families and state social workers more time to find the best long-term option for the child.

With the ability to care for several kids at a time, we can help keep brothers and sisters together during this traumatic transition. Sanctuary staff and volunteers provide trauma-informed care and comfort 24/7, focusing exclusively on caring for the child.

Our King County sanctuary, Grandese’s Place, is located in Seattle, and our Pierce County Sanctuary will be located in Tacoma (to open late 2016).

Post-Adoption Program - We are working to launch our comprehensive post-adoption services for Amara families. We ask our families for a lifetime commitment, and we want to offer the same in return. Together we are building a professional referral network to ensure every kid and family have the resources they need to thrive. Our adoptive families are becoming a strong community that learn from, celebrate, and support each other through all stages of life.